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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — of the year
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — a friend
  13. season — in sport
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. spell — magic
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com